Cruel Reality
by metalgearhunter
Summary: Kurugaya wonders to herself on the bus what emotions really were. What is love? It isn't until a tragedy occurs that you wish you had done things differently with your life... Two chapters long, COMPLETED.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note – Try reading this with "_Parting of the Boys_" **(instrumental, not just piano ver though) **of the Little Busters! OST. Please remember to leave your thoughts about this, I poured a lot into making this.**

**Here is a URL if you want a quick link.**

_Parting of the boys - watch?v=I0fUiYOGF8A&list=PL0B7EB8CDA1B02282&index=38_

Is This Love?

_Here I stand... Waiting, as always... Waiting, for something new to happen in my life._

Yuiko Kurugaya, a beautiful girl with long dark purple hair and deep violet eyes, sat on a bus reading a book to herself. The class was on a class field trip, one that was in the planning for over a month now. She smiled meagerly to herself, the story about a girl who was lost in a void, hoping for someone, anyone, to find her and end her misery. She was an eternal being which time could not kill due to a curse inflicted upon her by an evil witch, and had long since wished for an end, any kind of escape. Then, one fateful day, a man stumbled upon the void and found the trapped soul, and freed her with love.

The words on the pages were empty to Kurugaya, just as empty as the voices of everyone around her. She had no friends, she was known as an emotionless girl.

Kurugaya flipped the page to the book. There was nothing better to do...

She hardly felt any feelings; she knew nothing of most human feelings, yet she desired to understand them... To _feel_ them, yet, nothing could offer her any kind of stimulative to those feelings. She was all alone in the world. An only child, who was a genius, athletic, practically perfect in any kind of activity, whether it be physical or mental, she could do it if she wanted. A prodigy is what some called her, and even with all of this success, she was empty. Almost like a doll portrayed to make those who were related to her look ever so higher. She didn't mind it though, she loved her family, at least she thought she did.

_What is love anyway?_ Kurugaya thought to herself.

She silently closed the book and looked up to the roof of the bus. The bus jumped slightly after hitting a small bump, she remained practically unfazed. She could only close her eyes and try to think of an answer to her question. She could answer it, she was very intelligent. The hardest questions to her peers seemed moderate to her. She felt she was an ace in the deck, but she felt no will to berate or judge others simply because they were not blessed with her smart mind, but she almost thought she envied them a little. If she could trade all of her knowledge and prowess, her skills and stamina for even a taste of why most of her peers could smile and enjoy themselves around people every day, she would take it without any second thought.

A sigh...

Kurugaya glanced down to the book in her hand, then glanced over to a strange couple of students. Both were boys, one was much bigger with black sharp hair in an awkward hairstyle. His name was Masato, and he was an idiot, as clueless and carefree as they come. He was smiling widely and talking with another classmate of hers who was much less built and had kind eyes and brown hair. She knew his name as Riki, and he was too engaging in conversation with his classmate. She watched their smiles, how they grew and how their eyes seemed to shine as they conversed, with others around them joining in. She watched Riki's lips, and wondered if maybe one day, she would smile with the kind of spirit behind them instead of just putting one up to look nice and charming.

Yuiko just closed her eyes calmly, taking in a breath before exhaling it briefly after wards. The girl turned to reopen her novel when suddenly, a loud sound came forth and she felt her body jerk harshly forward. Her eyes opened wide as pain settled in, she heard the loud and numerous screams from the teenagers all around her.

Thrashing, loud noises ensued, pain started to envelope her as the bus tipped over on its side. The windows cracked and broke, she was slammed against numerous surfaces, some being the bodies of other students, a falling came with it, flipping, crashing, constant torment circled all around, and then...

And then...

Nothing... What had happened...

She couldn't feel anything anymore, all was lost, she was lost. Darkness surrounded her, and took her. She felt terrible, completely broken and destroyed. Nothing but a cold dark abyss was all she could fathom at that moment. She was completely alone...

_Wait... What's going on? Did something occur? Why... just why do I feel so... dead?_

That was it... She figured it out. An accident occurred. The bus must have crashed and now, she was on her way.

_This... This isn't right..._

Kurugaya felt something tug within her, it was hard pain, one she had never felt before. It was welling up inside of her, almost forcing its way out of her chest. She almost felt sick, the pain put aside that is...

_What is this? Is this... feeling? Is this remorse?_

Remorse, regret? What would one call it?

_Why, why do I feel like this... I should be just fine dying, right? Right? So why do I... wish that I wasn't..._

She remembered the face of that boy right across the isle, his smile and shining eyes.

_What was he feeling? I... I wished I had maybe tried to experience something like that... Why hadn't I ever tried?_

She inwardly sighed. She had tried, nothing ever stimulated any kind of emotional response within her though... But, this boy, he tugged at her...

_I don't want to die, not yet. I... never even had a chance to live. This is not fair, I wish I had a second chance..._

Kurugaya folded her hands together to her chest, wishing deeply that somewhere within this floating abyss that someone would hear her.

_I want to experience life, please, God... Please, give me something, anything... I want... I want to know what real happiness is, I don't want to just die without that. Please, anyone, hear me out! I beg of you, please!_

"_I'll answer to you."_ a distant voice called out to her.

Kurugaya opened her eyes, seeing nothing but the void. She floated there, waiting for the voice to show itself.

_You... will?_

"_Yes..."_ The voice was kind and sympathetic. _"Will you join me, in my quest to start a new world, one to really live in before we must depart?"_

_What kind of world?_

The voice was silent for a minute. Kurugaya blinked, looking desperately into the void, but nothing came.

_Hello, are you still there?_

A small orange-red light came into view very far away. Kurugaya stared at it. She just looked to it as it began to manifest into a silhouette of a young man in his late 10's, possibly 17 or 18 years of age. He was standing, bathed in an orange glow, but he didn't look intimidating, but rather welcoming to her.

"_I'm sure you already know what has happened... Have you accepted this fact?"_ the man asked.

Kurugaya looked down. _I know what has happened... But, I..._

"_Have some regrets? That's fine, I want to ease those for you? I want to give you a second chance, as temporary as it may be, it is something, right?"_

Kurugaya's eyes began to shake, she looked down to her open palms and stared at them before gripping them softly. She smiled. _Yes... Please, take me there..._

"_There are others just like you who have regrets in this major accident. Our life... is over, but there is something I regret too. Shall we help each other?"_

Kurugaya nodded. _Yes, tell me what you want me to do..._

"_I request that you help my best friend, Riki Naoe, grow stronger... Please?"_

_Riki... Naoe? But why, he-_

"_Is not going to die like the rest of us are..."_

Kurugaya lowered her head. She somehow trusted and understood what the adolescent said to her. _So someone is going to survive?_

"_Two are, him, and my little sister, Rin."_

Kurugaya smiled. _Alright... I'll do what I can, but I have to ask... Who are you?_

She could see the silhouette relax and chuckle pleasantly. _"My name is Kyousuke Natsume."_

And so, her desired second chance began. A new world was opened to her, one that was bright and new, without the pain she felt or sickness overcoming her. She was in her dorm, it was morning. It was the morning of the start of their semester, just over a month ago. She smiled to herself, she was given a second chance, and she would not let it go to waste.

It only took a week for her to seek out the stubbornness to call out to the boy Riki Naoe. He was the brown headed kid with the kind eyes. She had been watching him and his friends for the past week, they took up a part-time activity, a hobby of baseball. She watched how they got along and played, him, Masato, a smallish blonde named Komari Kamikita, known to be very polite and giving, a young man named Kyousuke, who was the creator of this new chance, and his little sister, Rin Natsume. She could see Riki was very dependent on Kyousuke, and that Rin was extremely shy. She assumed those two were the two survivors of that accident, and with a sound goal, she decided to engage in activities with the lot.

It wasn't long before she started to find indulgent in sneaking up on poor Riki, often startling him by whispering into his ear. She found herself often smiling around the boy, and it wasn't from any kind of mask or to be charming, but she discovered that she enjoyed herself when he would give a brief cry and turn red from her. She had discovered she could feel like that, and for that, she would be forever in debt to this group of idiots.

She tagged along with the small group that called themselves the Little Busters, an amatuer baseball team whose only goal was to have fun. She could somehow fit into that, and she enjoyed herself.

The group slowly grew, she watched as Riki would overcome the hardships of the other regretful souls that had accepted this "second chance" and help them as the Little Busters helped her. The first was Komari, who had joined before her, then after herself, it was Saigusa Haruka, a mischievous twin girl who was forced into a hateful relationship with her own twin sister due to family, the next was Mio Nishinozo, a bookworm who was slightly timid and was fading away into fleeing and forgetful form while another side of her took over, then finally, the cute and cheeful small Kudryavka Noumi, who aspired to be a cosmonaut just like her mother.

She came to know each and everyone of the Little Busters closely, and eventually, found herself very friendly with them. Each and every day was a new experience for her and her friends, and it almost felt like it could have been real life, but in the end, they were all reminded of what was coming. Each and everyday, Kurugaya could feel herself becoming weaker and weaker, pain from the real world slowly, but surely invading her. The only ones who were completely oblivious to the entire spectacle were the two she had come to love dearly and wish to protect herself, Rin and Riki.

She watched as Kyousuke's plan ever so proved itself day by day, trial after trial, Riki was growing stronger and more independent, and Rin was becoming more social and more brave about everyday life. Kurugaya found herself starting to become attracted to Riki in a way she could not perceive easily, especially during the times she would often sneak up on him and tease him. She knew of the things boys and girls did together, she wasn't oblivious to anything of the sort, she just never imagined that maybe it could happen to her too... But could it be possible in this world? Would Kyousuke allow her to maybe seek a relationship, even if it was only to be temporary. There was one emotion she had still longed to experience... Love.

"_I have created this world for all of us to live out and accomplish our lost dreams... We must pursue them, otherwise, it would all be pointless... Just remember we must strengthen those two, we must... The harsh reality before them will leave them in complete despair and disarray, they would be broken worse than we could hope to imagine... So love... Desire... For your sake, and theirs."_

But what is love? Kurugaya had absolutely no idea, there was no answer to that question anywhere. Not in any dictionary, not in any novel, not in the greatest romance... It was different to each and every person, love had infinite shapes and forms, and Kurugaya needed to experience this. She hoped she would get the chance, but she would not force herself onto poor Riki. She needed to keep in mind that if they did come together, what would be the point... She was already a dead girl, and he would live on...

But still, she desired it. She wished for it, and she did not want this chance, her _only_ second chance... to go without it.

When Riki was inevitably elected by unanimous vote to be the new leader of the Little Busters, obviously apart of Kyousuke's plan to help him grow stronger, she decided to herself that it wouldn't hurt to at least try for him. She was having so much fun, she never wanted any of it to end. She did not want to go back to that harsh reality, but the pain was becoming too much. She needed more time with Riki, she wanted her wish to come true, and thus... An endless dream started.

A dream where she would grow much closer to Riki than even she thought she could. She found herself often alone with him, multiple times. She would hold him inside a special room of hers, the PA Room. She and he would have quiet conversations, talking about the Little Busters, about the fun they had, she grew ever more closer to him. It was amazing, but as June the 20th repeated itself over and over again, he didn't seem to remember any of the previous days, but she could see a change in him subtly taking over.

Then, one fateful day, she finally said it... "Because I like you, Riki." She herself almost found it hard to believe, but she did now know that she liked him, honestly liked him. She found herself always smiling around him, always calm and at peace. The pain was almost forgotten about, and she could live in the fantasy. It wasn't long before something unique happened. Riki came to the dorms and requested she and the other girls follow him into the school late on that night, and after a little misunderstanding from Mio, she found herself alone beside a blushing Riki. Then... **they** came. Bright lights in the sky, beautiful in design. They illuminated and lighted up her very soul. The fireworks that sounded were like the light in the darkness she had seeked. She knew she loved Riki, and she figured he was also attracted to her, since the whole event was staged by Kyousuke to get the two alone so Riki could confess his feelings to her, if he actually had any for her.

But June 20th kept repeating, endlessly... It continued forward, and strangely, Riki did not seem to lose his memory after that event. He came straight to her the next day, and requested any kind of acknowledgment to his paranoia. She eventually gave it to him, but the pain was sapping her strength, and she could feel Kyousuke was growing weaker everyday. She needed to end this, but she wished to stay around longer, to help Riki and Rin grow more, but sadly... She could not. She loved Riki, but now was the time to go...

It came time for her to say good bye. She took Riki's hands in her own, as a white winter engulfed the both of them in a void.

"Please, you have to forget about me. The next day, you will wake up in June the 21st, and you will have forgotten all about this dream of mine."

Poor Riki... He refused to of course. She practically knew him like a childhood friend now, and she hated to leave him, but the real world is a cruel place. This dream, she had spent all she had left to repeat this endless day for who knew how long...

"I wish I could have at least experienced what love was..."

Those were her last words before Kyousuke's grip on her had completely faded. He couldn't hold her into the dream world anymore, he was too weak, and it was her fault. He had to continue with his plan, and she understood, but that didn't make things any more fair to her. She'd be going back to the real world shortly, and she wished none of the accident had ever happened...

_I enjoyed myself with the Little Busters... I wish... that none of it had to end, ever... Why... Why!?_ Kurugaya cried in her mind. Then... the comforting grip of Kyousuke's will had completely vanished, and she was left to fall back into the abyss of the death that inevitably awaited her inside that insidious coffin. She knew the future, she knew what had happened all along, and she was happy she was able to have fun, she was happy she got to feel emotions, she was joyed that she made friends... She was grateful she got to experience a taste of love.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note – Try reading this with "_Born into this World_"** **of the Little Busters! OST.**

**Here is a URL if you want a quick link. Please remember to leave your thoughts, I poured a lot into making this.**

_Born into this World - watch?v=cikD4AvGuH4&list=PL0B7EB8CDA1B02282&index=36_

Aftermath

Pain... Nothing but pain was all around. A horrible stench filled the air.

_I'm... back..._

Kurugaya lied her back inside a toppled and wrecked bus, the body of Saigusa lying next to her. Kurugaya tried to open her eyes.

She mentally cried out.

_It hurts to even think about it..._

Her entire body was unmovable, there was no way she could even hope to even move her lips, it hurt so bad...

_So... it is real. Even after that semester, the month I got to spend with everyone and more, it was all... really just... a dream..._

But she knew... She knew the dream was real, and now she was back in the real world. The smell of gasoline was heavy and unavoidable. She could feel her stomach twisting knots and her body urged to alleviate it, but she was completely paralyzed. She could see nothing but black, she wasn't even in the void anymore... She was just waiting now... Waiting for the unavoidable fate. No goodbyes to her new friends, no farewells, no more chances to feel, just waiting for death.

_I wish I was not even here..._ Kurugaya breathed very slightly, her lungs couldn't even handle an ounce of air. Her organs felt like they were on fire, her body was numb down to her fingertips, she couldn't even gather the strength to part her eyelids.

_Riki... I wish... I could stay with you..._

Memories of their time together came into her mind's eye. Her first real meeting with him, sneaking up and blowing against his ear.

_I wish we all didn't have to suffer like this... Riki... Rin... I want to protect you... I wish to spend more time with you..._

She could feel herself drifting away slowly. Nothing was possible for her now, where once she was able to do anything, now she was completely beyond hope.

_Guys... I had so much fun with you all..._

She could see herself on the field, practicing baseball with the lot of them. The idea of Rin throwing marvelous pitches, fast and curve balls, she loved every second inside that world.

Kurugaya cringed on the inside, the pain was unimaginable. Both the mental and physical was overwhelming.

_I want to be with you all to the end, but... this is the end, isn't it..._

Numerous memories played out in her mind of the time they all spent inside that world, the good and the bad. Komari's crying, Kud's disaster with her mother and going to her home, Saigusa's corrupted relationship with her own twin, Mio's weakness to overcome her own demons. Then there were the times when all had been fixed. Their first baseball game, which ended in a loss, they still enjoyed themselves. The pancake party that was hosted, it was something she'd never forget... And then there was him, Riki, who had showed her what it was like to experience feelings.

_Please, let me come back..._ The voice in her mind was weak, but she desired to come back to that world. Would she be able to? _I have to, please..._

A void surrounded her, but the pain was still there... She could see her hand, lying in front of her on the black void ground. She tried to move, and a stabbing wound shot through out her entire body. Kurugaya cried out loudly, her hand falling instantly.

The girl weakly opened her eyelids, half-void eyes visibly shining as she tried to look up forward. She could see him, Kyousuke, running to her. He was bathed in an orange-red glow, just like his smooth hair. He was racing for her, but he didn't seem to be getting close fast in the slightest. A weak smile caressed her features.

"Kyouse...ke..." She slowly lifted a shaking hand to him.

Kyousuke reached out to her, but his reach was far from her. "Kurugaya! Hang on!"

She could tell he was tired and that he was hurting. Something had went wrong in that world, and he was still going to try.

_I'm still welcome to come back?! Please..._ "Kyouse...ke... I..."

"Kurugaya!..." The voice was more distant than before, and she began to lose sight of him. The slightest sign of her smile, her hope vanished. Her eyes became emptier as she realized he could not reach her and pull her back in, away from all the pain until it was time to go and leave the world forever, leaving Riki and Rin behind.

"Kyousuke!?" Kurugaya desperately reached forward, but her arm instantly shot back down from a surge of harm all over or ribs and arm. Tears started to come, they edged to the surface of her eyes, threatening to pour as her only hope for alleviation fell into darkness. "Kyouse... ke..." Her head sunk down and lied on the ground, tears flowing slightly. Her body had lost all strength, even in this void between life and the end. "Please... Don't leave.. me... all alone..."

That was it, nothing but darkness closed in. It was like a predator, it enveloped and devoured her completely, she could not even see herself as the familiar unkind feelings came back. The putrid smell of gasoline flooding her sensitive nostrils and threatening to destroy her. She could hear a spark sounding in the background. The end was too near... and it was too clear.

_Riki... please forgive me..._

She sniffled in her mind, it was impossible to breathe now.

_I'm so sorry... Riki... I should... not have put you through... that endless day... It was selfish of me... I had never experienced... anything like I was... before... It was... selfish of me... to do that... and take away so much... of their time... I... hope you will forgive me... when you undeniably learn... the truth... The truth about... what has really... happened... I will miss you guys... All... of you..._

Kurugaya shook slightly in her mind, tears struggling to flood out of her.

_I had come to know... each and everyone of you dearly... Komari... you kind and innocent girl... You always... did your best... to look on the positive side of every situation... Saigusa... I always enjoyed your fun and... our time together... I'll take it with me... into the next world._

Tears were flowing from her, as she heaved and sobbed inside her mind.

_Mio, your love for novels and stories... was unlike many I'd seen, and you made... an excellent team manager... Kud, I always found everything you did... cute and funny... Every word you said was filled with cheer and optimism... I'm going to miss hearing it... Kengo, so strong... and noble, yet childish and naïve... Thank you for finally spending time with me... with us... Masato. You are an idiot, but I will love and cherish every moment with you... You made every second fun and new, and you never gave in to what was really... happening to us... Kyousuke... Thank you... Thank you so much for giving me this chance... This chance to live, to really... live... I will never be able... to express my gratitude..._

Kurugaya cringed heavily. The pain was too much, but yet it wouldn't end. Her body felt like nothing she could describe, wars were inflicting all over her, and she was sure it was the same for the others. What were they thinking? Were they thanking the others with their last thoughts, or were they wishing they did not have to leave their dream? She would never know... and they'd never know her own. That was the fate instore for them, to die inside this vehicle. To die in a flaming inferno that would no doubt be set ablaze in mere minutes, maybe seconds. Every moment was something to love now, and the darkness was their only friend to talk to. Her body was completely unresponsive, even her lips could not part. Gasoline was surely flooding their lungs as they desperately clung to life. Bones wrecked, muscles strained and stretched, minds knowing they are about to fade away.

_Rin... Riki... Please... Remember us... Please, don't forget about the time we all spent together. That world may have been a dream, but to us, it was so much more, and I'm sure it was to you too... Please, grow strong, be what Kyousuke wanted... Surpass him, take care of yourselves and live on for us... Please..._

Her mind blanked out, now there was nothing to cling to... She was just too weak. Everything was fading, her feelings were falling, her body was warring and destroying itself, trying to survive... There was no point anymore, but...

_I don't want to die..._

Kurugaya lied motionless on the side of the bus on the cracked window, barely breathing.

_I want to spend more time with you all... I wanted to have more sleepovers, more parties, more activities... I wanted to feel more, experience more, there is still so much I want to do... And I want to experience all of my firsts... with all of you... I don't want to die..._

_I don't want to die._

…

_This is so unfair... What had we done to deserve this? Nothing... We did not deserve this... So why, why was this happening? Riki! Riki... Please..._

_Kyousuke... please do something... You always did something, please..._

_I don't want to... die... I still want to experience love..._

…

…

A small noise came...

Kurugaya tried to move, but it was too much, her body couldn't take it... Motionless, complete nothingness.

A quiet voice was talking from somewhere, but where? Was someone awake? Was it her imagination?

A footstep sounded on cracking glass. A small exchange of voices came, it was a boy and a girl. Kurugaya wanted to see them, see _something_, but her eyelids hurt too much. Her head ached hard, she felt blood running down her mouth and forehead.

The voices stopped, and it sounded like something was being carried away. Kurugaya tried to breathe, but the gasoline kept flooding in. She couldn't even gag or cough the poison out, her body refused to allow her. She was completely messed up.

The cracking of glass came again, and it was approaching her. A voice came to...

_It hurts... It hurts to much..._ Kurugaya wished to see who it was. Pain was all around her, it was all she knew now, but... _I have to try..._

Her eye barely slitted open, hardly budging. She was so weak, it was shameful, and she didn't care. Two recognizable shadows were over her, but they seemed so caring. A voice came from the one she could see, it was the boy's. He knealt down to her.

Kurugaya's heart skipped a beat.

Riki was kneeling over her with a determined look on his face.

"_Becareful with her... She's hurt really badly, worse than Komari..."_

_Riki? What... are you doing?_

A soothing feeling came over her as Riki carefully wrapped his arms underneath her. It was so foreign to her by now, she could have gasped.

"_Okay, on three... One... two... three!"_

Pain completely overtook her entire system, it was much worse than anything she'd felt the past year, but strangely, she welcomed it. She desperately tried to keep Riki in her blind sight, she so dearly wanted to smile, but her lips were unresponsive.

_Riki? You're going to save me? You... and Rin? You... but, what about the plan?_

She felt her body sway to their walking, Riki's forearms harshly rubbing against her battered ribcage. She could feel blood slowly flooding its way into the recesses of her mouth. It was metallic and bitter, and yet she could hardly swallow it. But on the inside, she smiled pathetically. She loved the feeling of his arms around her, even if they brought pain to her.

_You both... are going to save us all? Even though it all could end in a second? You'll risk your one and only life... to save us?_

Soft grass welcomed her. She watched Rin and felt Riki ever so gently set her down on the grass, making sure they did not give her anymore pain than what she already suffered. She watched them both go for another person without a second thought. They knew how dire the situation was, how fragile it is. In a second, everything could unexpectedly end. And yet...

_They are saving us..._

More students joined her and eventually her friends, and it wasn't long before another new noise was heard. Kurugaya wondered what it was. She wished she could speak up, but her throat... Blood was clotting it, she could barely breathe as it was.

She heard footsteps approach her. She barely opened an eye, Riki was standing beside her now, looking down at her with a worry filled smile and a troubled expression. He could not see her looking at him, she was sure her eyelid had barely opened up. She watched as he wasted no time in moving her onto some sort of makeshift stretcher. Her body ached and tore at the tugging, but she easily forgave him. It was necessary. He was doing what he could to save her, to save all of her friends, the friends she had come to know and hold dear in an impossible dream over a semester that never existed.

He picked up the top side of the stretcher and Kurugaya felt herself being dragged upwards, towards safety. The air became cleaner, the gasoline was slowly vanishing. It was a heavenly aroma, something beyond what words were capable of describing. The edges of her mouth barely cornered up to a smile. She felt at peace, she felt safe as Riki dragged her up the hill.

_Riki... Rin..._

She closed her barely open eye.

_Kyousuke... Your plan succeeded, they both grew strong, stronger than all of us imagined they would. We're... We're going to live... We really are, and I'm really going to join the Little Busters... I want to do all that I wished to do, and more..._

A warm glow permeated her cheeks. Kurugaya could not open her eye again, for once, she felt so relaxed, it was unimaginable. Once in death's hands, now in life's. A wish she could not have hoped for to be granted... And yet, it was true. This was no dream, this was the real world.

Countless moments passed, Kurugaya lied motionless, unable to fall asleep, her insides still shaking and burning from the gas, but she smiled. She smiled pathetically, and was happy she could. Then, an explosion occurred.

_Riki?_

_Rin?_

_Are you both okay? Are you alright!?_

Flames could be heard crackling in the distance, heavy flames. In an instant, Kurugaya attempted to sit up, but just as fast, nothing but pain flooded her system. Barely moving, and yet she couldn't do anything but hope.

_Riki, Rin. Please, don't be dead! Please!_

The sound of the flames was persistent, and it sounded far. It was like an incessant fly buzzing around your head and flying straight into your ear. She hoped, she listened for any kind of sign that they were alive.

…

Nothing came.

Kurugaya opened her eyes slightly, they disputed on budging even a micrometer, but she needed to see. The blackness soon came into barely readable sight. The sight of numerous lying unconscious students lied before her, it was tear jerking to her, but there was no indication of Riki or Rin.

_Riki!? Rin!? Where are you? I want to help you, I want to protect you, but..._

She inwardly cringed, it was impossible. She could taste the blood in her mouth pouring on her stale cheek. She hadn't swallowed in so long... She wished for some water for a second, it was so dry minus the blood. A small string came down her parted smile and onto the ground as she prayed for Riki and Rin to come up that hill.

Still nothing. Did they die in that explosion? No... That wouldn't happen. They saved them all. Why would they have to die? Why should they!? After all of that.

Kurugaya wanted to erase her smile, but she found her lips as cold as stone. It'd hurt to much.

_Rin... Riki... Please... Come back..._

The crackles of grass sounded up. Her eyes darted lower to the source area of the sound, and something came up slowly. It was a round head of brown hair, then partly next to him, another head of brown hair. She watched as two students emerged over the horizon of the hill. They were dragging something with them, over their shoulders.

_Kyousuke!_

Rin and Riki looked exhausted as they dragged Kyousuke's unconscious body up and onto the hill. They carefully lied him down. She watched as Riki stood up for a few seconds and walked forward before collapsing onto his knees, panting, fatigued.

Kurugaya took back what she thought about the small smile on her face. She opened her eyes slightly more, trying her best to ignore the pain that followed.

"Ri... ki..."

Riki's head popped up to the quiet and weak call of his name. The voice was so hoarse and weak, Kurugaya barely recognized it as her own. Riki turned over to her before crawling towards her with haste.

"Kurugaya?!"

She couldn't find any energy to speak, she just looked to him with shining eyes. He smiled as he closed the distance on them.

"Kurugaya?" His smile faded as he noticed the red string flowing from the corner of her mouth. He smiled softly and wiped it with his thumb. "Kurugaya..." He said softly. "It's okay now, everything is going to be better..."

The motionless girl just looked upon him, so much hope and life flooding back into her mind. He lovingly edged open her mouth, knowing she was unable to do so herself, and reached a finger in softly to scoop out the puddle of clotting blood blocking her breathing for so long. She felt so secure now.

_I can finally have my wish... My small wish... The chance... To experience so many things now... To have more fun, to spend more time with my friends, play jokes, catch baseballs..._

Riki smiled at her kindly.

_I have a real chance to experience love now..._


End file.
